The European Tribune is a forum for thoughtful dialogue of European and international issues. You are invited to post comments and your own articles.
Please REGISTER to post.
Since the State was founded in the 1920s as the Irish Free State (see also History of the Republic of Ireland), the Irish Government required a degree of proficiency in Irish for all civil service positions (including postal workers, tax officials, agricultural inspectors, etc.), as well as for employees of state companies (e.g. Aer Lingus, RTE, ESB, etc). Proficiency in Irish for entrance to the public service ceased to be a compulsory requirement in 1974, in part through the actions of protest organizations like the Language Freedom Movement. While the requirement was also dropped for wider public service jobs, such as teaching, Irish remains a required subject of study in all schools within the Republic which receive public money (see also Education in the Republic of Ireland). The need for a pass in Leaving Certificate Irish for entry to the Gardaí (police) was dropped in September 2005, although applicants are given lessons in the language during the two years of training. Most official documents of the Irish Government are published in both Irish and English.
So until Sept. of last year you had to know Irish to join the police force.
What do you think of the dropping of the language requirement for civil servants?
by Oui - Dec 4 11 comments
by Frank Schnittger - Dec 1 4 comments
by Frank Schnittger - Nov 27 58 comments
by Frank Schnittger - Nov 23 37 comments
by Frank Schnittger - Nov 20 64 comments
by Oui - Nov 21 2 comments
by ATinNM - Nov 13 5 comments
by Oui - Nov 15 9 comments
by Oui - Dec 411 comments
by Frank Schnittger - Dec 14 comments
by Frank Schnittger - Nov 2758 comments
by gmoke - Nov 26
by Frank Schnittger - Nov 2337 comments
by Oui - Nov 212 comments
by Frank Schnittger - Nov 2064 comments
by Oui - Nov 159 comments
by ATinNM - Nov 135 comments
by Oui - Nov 134 comments
by Oui - Nov 124 comments
by Frank Schnittger - Nov 10115 comments
by Oui - Nov 87 comments
by IdiotSavant - Nov 818 comments
by gmoke - Nov 8
by Frank Schnittger - Nov 639 comments
by Oui - Nov 428 comments
by Oui - Oct 2916 comments